The Washington critic., 1887-11-21
TOPICS OF THE DAY.
A Fiftssn-Cent Transaction in thu
Treasury Department.
MR.. wHITNBY's METHODS.
Two Prominent Omclals at Church
With Their Daughters.


on.,he.Iludson with his family, and
they would not come into the city to |
their Gramercy Park place until after
Thanksgiving, which will be celebrated
by the gathering of all the field clans
at Irvington. He has fifteen or twenty
grandchildren and great-grandchildrcn
who will come together on that occa.
sion and be filled with turkey and
cranberry sauce and chicken flxins,"
after the old fashioned New England
style. Looking at Mr. Field aud talk
ing with him, one could hardly imag.
Inc that within few months he had
lost In Wall street, through the tumble
In Manhattan Elevated securities, a
sum that would make dozen fortunes.
There are signs about his eyes of grow
ing age, but he carries his six feet Of
gaunt frame In much his old manner,
and has the same inquiring tendency
of mind.
4"s
Ex Senator Henry G. Davis is proba
bly, less known to New York politi-
clans, says the Sun, than almost any of
the prominent persons from all over the
ulc btlC W clcS-
lion time. He is not easily forgotten
by people once confronted with him.
As he walked up Broadway not long
since, on his way to the house OF q
friend on Fifth avenue, he made q
striking figure In an interesting scene
lie walked as cautiously and modestly
through the crush of carriages at the
Twenty third street crossing as IL he
didn't own thirty million dollars him
self. His friends, who estimate him
prospectively as the richest man In the
country, put his wealth now at that
figure He Is tall broad shouldered,
full faced man, weighing 200 pounds or
more. His gray beard Is cropped close,
and his dark face and bulldog jaw give
him look of great determination. His
eve Is q dark hazel, and sheds q kindly
light. Mr.. Davis Is father In law of
Steve Elkins and cousin of Arthur
German.
Says Frank G. Carpenter in recent
letteI: Secretary Whitney's methods
are such that he has been able to do
great deal of work in very short time.
lis habits of work have been 10 co ne
10 the Office at 10 q. M, and to receive
all callers who came between 10 an 12.
From 10 to he received the chiefs OF
bureaus and at . p. m. he left the de.
partment for his lunch. lie is fond
Of good living and he took his lunches
ut the Cosmopolitan Club, at Welcker's,
at Wormley's or at Chamberlain's, and
came back to the department after
about half an hours absence. He
out for his horseback ride. At he
took his dinner and the evening he
devoted to society. lie Is one of the
most accomplished society men In pub.
lie life, and he is fond of everything
that society affects. He likes tally
ho coach ride, a paper chase or a
himself last New Years, when his
wife was not able to take her place at
the board, and 1t is said that his enter
tainments during single season cost
twice as much as the salary of the
Chief Justice Of the United States
His wealth, however, permits him to
keep -four houses open at one time, and
during the past summer his Washing
ton home, his country seat at Grass
lands, his fine New York house aud his
place at LenoX have been In running
order.
~
Austin of the Cincinnati Times stu,
recently saw two prominent officials at
church and each with a daughter.
1t struck him as a good item and he
wrote 1t up as follows: THAT round.
faced man, with brown moustache
and bald head, who has laughed SO
much that he has made deep wrinkles
about his eyes, but still laughs on, Is
Stevenson, the present First Assistant
Postmaster General. saw him sitting
in church last Sunday, his arm thrown
lovingly about his little daughter, who
sat beside him. A pretty picture Il
was, and It was hard to reallz. thai
that arm cncircling the loved daughter
had welded the headsman's axe more
frequently and vigorously than any
other In Washington In the past two
years, and that that hand, which aifec
tionately stroked the golden hair
had signed the death warrant
of forty thousand Republican post,
masters since this Administration came
into power. BY an odd circumstance
another man In the opposite seat was
also caressing pretty little daughter Of
say twelve as he listened to the sermon
lie kept his eye, too, at the same tint
on n couple of boys who sat In the SAINT
seat, sturdy, fine looking young fellow:
who promise TO be as tall and straigh
and handsome as their father, wht
strOked the silken hair of the pretty
daughter and mixed sermon and Inter
state commerce thoughts and the lov,
of his children indiscriminately. Ill
name Is Walker, the handsomest ant
one of the clearest headed of the abl
Interstate Commerce Commissioning
the Commission is proving itself
really strong one.
1t is probable, says the Washington
correspondent of the Boston TjdrsVT
that Senator Coclircll's report on tn,
methods of transacting business in tn
Government Departments will contai
recommendation TO curtail some o
the official correspondence, which, t
many of the bureau officers, now Np
pears unnecessary. For example,
collector of customs recently ha
occasion to repair lock upon one o
the doors of his office. A locksmitl
was summoned, and 1t was found tha
the necessary repairs would require a
outlay of 10 cents. The collector wa
Obliged to write letter TO the SecrC
taIy of the Treasury, requesting per